DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDSs) submitted on 06/02/2023, 08/24/2023 and 08/20/2023 are acknowledged by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims1, 5-8,10-11 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being by anticipated by Colello et al. (US 2011/0282807), hereinafter Colello.
As to claim 1, an offshore electrical charging system, comprising [see figures 1-4]:
a marine vessel [the energy storage (104) transported via ship; see ¶0085] ;
a plurality of flywheels [flywheels (104); see ¶0085 and ¶0095]; stored on the marine vessel;
an electrical power network on the marine vessel [electrical power networks see Fig. 8D and transmit flywheel (104) and discharge interface (454) and ¶115] and electrically connected to flywheels;
an electrical connector [power coupling (904) and see ¶120] in electrical communication with the electrical power network to enable electrical power from the flywheels to flow via the electrical connector to supply power from the marine vessel; at least one power switch [power switch [ power isolator (892); see figure 86 and ¶118] disposed on the electrical power network, and configured to enable electricity to flow between the electrical connector and flywheels; and a controller [controller (304)] configured to control the at least one power switch to enable and disable electrical power to flow between the flywheels and the electrical connector via the electrical power network [see ¶118].
As to claim 5, Colello discloses in figures 1-18, discloses a ligating power station including at least one of a wind turbine and solar panel [wind platform 1802 comprises a floating platform and wind turbines, see Fig. 18, ¶146] electrically connected to an electrical conductor that connects to the electrical power network for recharging the flywheels [power line 1810 serves as an extension of the network to deliver power from the wind turbines to the energy storage through the network of electrical conductors onboard ship 900, Fig. 18, see ¶146].
As to claim 6, Colello discloses in figures 1-18, second marine vessel including the same electrical power components as the marine vessel [two energy stores 104(3) and 104(4), each transported by a marine vessel are used to continually supply to consumer 106, Fig. 2, see also ¶0 95].
As to claim 7, Colello discloses in figures 1-18, a computing system configured to: remotely monitor available charge of the flywheels on the marine vessel and second marine vessel [controller/EMC 310 communicates with energy stores to monitor their charge, ¶0094]; and determine when to dispatch the second marine vessel with charged flywheels to replace the marine vessel with charge-depleted flywheels [controller/EMC 310 determines the timing of replacing energy stores to ensure uninterrupted supply of energy, ¶0095].
As to claim 8, Colello discloses in figures 1-18, the marine vessel and second marine vessel are autonomous marine vessels or moved by autonomous marine vessels [transport ship 900 is automated and transports energy under computer control, ¶122].
As to claim 10, Colello discloses in figures 1-18. the electrical connector is an inductive electrical connector [coupler 877 is an inductive coupler, see ¶116].
As to claim 11, Colello discloses in figures 1-18, the marine vessel is a barge [energy store 104 can be transported by watercraft such as a ship or barge, see ¶085].
As to claim 13, Colello discloses in figures 1-18, a second electrical connector configured to enable electricity to flow from the electrical connector and second electrical connector [electrical coupler 853 connects power storage 104 to a power source 102 for charging of the power storage 104, Fig. 8C, ¶113].
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 2, 9 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Colello in view of Lorang (US 2012/0060741).
As to claim 2, Colello discloses charging buoy [power connector 2508 is buoy, Fig. 25, ¶0159) configured to be moored and to supply electrical power via one or more first electrical conductors engaged therewith [the boy is tethered, i.e. moored, to the seafloor and supplies electricity through conducting power line 2518, Fig. 25, see ¶159]; and at least one second electrical conductor electrically connected to the one or more first electrical conductors, and each of the at least one second electrical conductors configured to be connected to the electrical connector, such that electrical power flows via the one OF more first electrical conductors to the at least one second electrical conductor [energy transport ship 900 comprises its own electrical conductors forming electrical power network to receive power from charging buoy 2508, Fig. 25, see ¶159].
Colello does not disclose explicitly, electricity is able to be supplied to an electrical system external from the marine vessel.
Lorang discloses a system in which a marine vessel provides electricity to be supplied to an electrical system external from the marine vessel [secondary ship 2 is electrically connected to primary ship 1 to provide electrical power to primary ship 1, see ¶027].
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the system of Colello by enabling electricity to be supplied to an electrical system external from the marine vessel as disclosed by Lorang in order to simplify maintenance and reloading operations for the charging system.
As to claim 9, Colello discloses in figures 1-18, an electrical power network located offshore to enable one of more marine vessels to electrically connect thereto to receive electrical power therefrom [energy transport ship 900 may receive power from an offshore wind farm which allows the ship to connect thereto in order to receive electrical energy. Fig. 18, ¶146]; a plurality of first electrical conductors electrically connected to the electrical power network [power connector 1808 of the offshore wind platform may allow for connection of more than one ship 900 at B time, Fig. 18, ¶146]; a controller configured to (II) cause electrical power to flow from the flywheels of the marine vessel to the electrical power network without disrupting available electrical power being supplied by the electrical power network [controller/EMC 302 ensures an appropriate number of energy stores 104 in order to maintain, i.e. avoid disruption of, the power network, ¶0091].
Colello does not disclose explicitly, a controller configured to (i) enable the marine vessel and second marine vessel to connect.
Lorang discloses a system in which a marine vessel comprises a controller configured to (i) enable a marine vessel and a second marine vessel to connect [secondary ship 2 is autonomously controlled and electrically connected to primary ship 1 to provide electrical power to primary ship 1, see ¶0027-0029].
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the system of Colello by including a controller configured to (I) enable a marine vessel and a second marine vessel to connect as disclosed by Lorang in order to simplify maintenance and reloading operations for the charging system.
As to claim 12, Colello discloses in figures 1-18, a charging buoy positioned offshores [power connector 2508 is a buoy and is tethered offshore, Fig 25, ¶159].
Colello does not disclose explicitly, towboats configured to move the barges.
Lorang discloses a system in which a marine vessel comprising towboats configured to move the barge [secondary ship 2 moves by means of one or more towboats, ¶029].
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the system of Colello by using towboats configured to move the barge as disclosed by Lorang in order to simplify maintenance and reloading operations for the charging system.
Claims 3 and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Colello in view of Mikalsen (US 2020/0406765 A1).
As per claim 3, Colello discloses all of the claim limitations except, one or more electrical power meters configured to measure electrical power distributed to B second marine vessel electrically connected to the one or more first electrical conductors: and a processor configured to receive data from the one and more electrical power meters to determine an amount of power delivered to the second marine vessel to determine amount to invoice an owner or operator of the second marine vessel for recharging services.
Mikalsen discloses in figures 1-13, a marine vessel charging system with one or more electrical power meters configured to measure electrical power distributed to B second marine vessel electrically connected to the one or more first electrical conductors [charging station 504 comprises electronic devices that record the amount of power transfer, see ¶036]: and a processor configured to receive data from the one and more electrical power meters to determine an amount of power delivered to the second marine vessel to determine amount to invoice an owner or operator of the second marine vessel for recharging services [charging station 504 comprises processors to process data regarding the amount of power consumed to generate invoices, ¶00 36].
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the system of Colello by using one or more electrical power meters configured to measure electrical power distributed to a second marine vessel electrically connected to the one or more first electrical conductors; and a processor configured to receive data from the one and more electrical power meters to determine an amount of power delivered to the second marine vessel to determine amount to invoice an owner or operator of the second marine vessel for recharging services as disclosed by Mikalsen in order to perform proper billing.
As to claim 4, Colello discloses all of the claim limitations except, at least one timer configured to measure an amount of time that a second marine vessel is electrically connected to the one or more first electrical conductors: and a processor configured to receive date from at least one timer to determine an amount of time that the second marine vessel is electrically connected to the electrical power network, and to determine amount to invoice and owner or operator of the second marine vessel for recharging services.
Mikalsen discloses in figures 1-13, a marine vessel charging system with at least one timer configured to measure an amount of time that a second marine vessel is electrically connected to the one or more first electrical conductors [charging station 504 comprises electronic devices that record the time a vessel is connected to the charging station, e.g. 6 hours, ¶036); and a processor configured to receive data from at least one timer to determine an amount of time that the second marine vessel is electrically connected to the electrical power network, and to determine amount to invoice an owner or operator of the second marine vessel for recharging services [charging station 504 comprises processors to process data regarding the amount of power consumed to generate invoices, ¶0036].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify the system of Colello by using at least one timer configured to measure an amount of time that a second marine vessel is electrically connected to the one or more first electrical conductors; and a processor configured to receive data from at least one timer to determine an amount of time that the second marine vessel is electrically connected to the electrical power network, and to determine amount to Invoice and owner or operator of the second marine vessel for recharging services as disclosed by Mikalsen in order to perform proper billing.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. CN105923118A, discloses an offshore electrical charging system, comprising [see figures 1-4]: a marine vessel [hull 14]; a plurality of flywheels [flywheels (1) and (2)]; stored on the marine vessel; an electrical power network on the marine vessel [electrical power networks including (solar power), converters (8, 10,12) and , inverter (10) and etc.] at least one power switch [power switch [ (3)] ; and a controller [controller (5)] configured to control the at least one power switch to enable and disable electrical power to flow between the flywheels and the electrical connector via the electrical power network [flywheels (1) and (2)].
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SAMUEL BERHANU whose telephone number is (571)272-8430. The examiner can normally be reached M_F.
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/SAMUEL BERHANU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2859